Chapter 3: Diego’s POV 

Chapter 3: Diego’s POV 

Diego watched Isabel’s every move, his mind racing with conflicting thoughts. On one hand, he admired her resourcefulness and adaptability, but on the other, he feared that he was putting her in harm’s way. 

“What am I doing?” he asked himself, staring at her as she practised her martial arts techniques in the small space that served as their living area. “She’s not a trained criminal. She’s just a girl who got caught up in the wrong life.”

Diego wrestled with his conscience, torn between his desire to protect Isabel and his own ruthless ambition. He knew that he was using her, but he also knew that she was the best chance he had of achieving his goals. 

As the days passed, Diego became more and more conflicted. He found himself longing for Isabel’s company, even as he knew that he was putting her in danger. 

“What is this feeling?” he asked himself, watching as Isabel laughed at one of his jokes. “It can’t be…love, can it?”

Diego's mind churned with these thoughts, and he began to wonder if there was another way. Could he protect Isabel, keep her safe, and still achieve his goals? Or was he fooling himself, deluding himself into thinking that there was a way out of this tangled web?

“Maybe…maybe we could run,” he whispered, the idea taking hold in his mind like a seed in fertile soil. “Maybe we could disappear, start a new life somewhere far from here.”

The more he thought about it, the more the idea seemed like a possibility. He and Isabel could disappear into the vast expanse of Asia, living under the radar, free from the danger and the deception that had defined their lives up to this point. 

But as the idea took hold, so too did the doubts. How could they disappear, with Diego's associates hot on their heels? And even if they did, what kind of life would they have? A life of poverty and isolation?

Diego was gripped by these thoughts as he watched Isabel sleep in the early morning light.

Diego considered his options, turning each one over in his mind like a stone. He could tell Isabel the truth about his plans, about his doubts, but what would that accomplish? Would she understand, or would she turn against him? And if they did try to disappear, where would they go? What would they do?

He was torn between his fear of losing Isabel and his fear of losing everything else. And as he watched her sleep, he knew that he couldn’t allow either to happen. 

“I have to protect her,” he thought, his jaw clenched in determination.

Diego made up his mind. He would protect Isabel at all costs, even if it meant turning against his own associates. He would find a way to keep her safe, to give her the life that she deserved. 

As the sun rose over Hong Kong, Diego began to hatch a plan. He would use his connections, his resources, and his cunning to outmanoeuvre his former associates. He would find a way to disappear with Isabel, to start a new life together, away from the dangers and the deception that had plagued them both.

Diego’s plan began to take shape, like a mosaic forming from individual pieces. He would start by severing ties with his former associates, disappearing from the scene and leaving no traces of his whereabouts. 

He would then need to gather the necessary resources for a successful escape: money, passports, disguises. He would need to move quickly, before his associates realised what was happening. 

“I can do this,” he thought, the gears of his mind turning rapidly. “I have to do this. For Isabel.”

With his plan in place, Diego set out to execute it. He made a series of phone calls, arranging for false documents and a private plane to take them far away from Hong Kong. 

He gathered what little money he had left, selling off his possessions and relying on his connections for help. And as the day drew to a close, he gathered Isabel and slipped away into the night, leaving behind the safe house and the life they had known.

“Where are we going?” Isabel asked, her eyes wide with anticipation.

“Thailand,” Diego replied, a smile playing on his lips. “We’ll disappear into the chaos of Bangkok. There, we can start fresh, away from the reach of my former associates.”

Isabel’s smile mirrored his own, her excitement palpable. “What about after Bangkok?” she asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

Diego shrugged, his eyes dancing with mischief. “The world is our oyster,” he said, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

And so, they disappeared into the night, leaving Hong Kong behind and heading for the chaos of Bangkok.

As the plane soared through the night sky, Diego and Isabel talked, laughed, and planned, their spirits buoyed by the prospect of a new life together.

“What will we do there?” Isabel asked, her fingers tracing patterns on Diego’s hand.

Diego smiled, his eyes glittering with mischief. “We’ll be tourists,” he said.

The plane touched down in Bangkok, and Diego and Isabel made their way into the city, their eyes wide with wonder. They wandered through the narrow streets, their noses filled with the scent of street food and incense. They visited temples and markets, soaking up the vibrancy and chaos of the city.

And as they walked hand in hand through the winding alleyways, Diego felt a sense of contentment wash over him. This was the life he wanted, a life of adventure and freedom, with Isabel at his side.

Days turned into weeks, and Isabel and Diego made their way through Thailand, visiting bustling cities and quiet villages, tasting exotic foods and exploring ancient temples.

They laughed together, shared stories, and even fell asleep under the stars, their dreams filled with the promise of a new life. And as they wandered through this strange, beautiful country, Diego knew that he had never been happier.

But even as they explored, a sense of unease began to grow within Diego. He knew that their time in Thailand was temporary, that they couldn’t stay hidden forever.

The unease that had been simmering within Diego began to boil over as he realised that their time in Thailand was coming to an end.

One night, as they sat on the rooftop of their small hotel in Bangkok, staring out over the city’s glittering skyline, Diego turned to Isabel and took her hands in his.

“We can’t stay here forever,” he said, his voice soft but firm.

Isabel’s heart sank at his words, but she knew that he was right.

“What do you propose we do?” Isabel asked, her voice quivering slightly.

Diego took a deep breath, steeling himself for the answer that had been growing within him for weeks.

“I think we should go to Europe,” he said. “Somewhere quiet, remote. We can start a new life, away from my associates, away from this life.”

Isabel’s eyes widened, her mind spinning with the possibilities. “Europe?” she repeated, her voice barely a whisper.

Chapter 3: Diego’s POV

Diego watched Isabel’s every move, his mind racing with conflicting thoughts. On one hand, he admired her resourcefulness and adaptability, but on the other, he feared that he was putting her in harm’s way.

“What am I doing?” he asked himself, staring at her as she practised her martial arts techniques in the small space that served as their living area. “She’s not a trained criminal. She’s just a girl who got caught up in the wrong life.”

Diego wrestled with his conscience, torn between his desire to protect Isabel and his own ruthless ambition. He knew that he was using her, but he also knew that she was the best chance he had of achieving his goals.

As the days passed, Diego became more and more conflicted. He found himself longing for Isabel’s company, even as he knew that he was putting her in danger.

“What is this feeling?” he asked himself, watching as Isabel laughed at one of his jokes. “It can’t be…love, can it?”

Diego's mind churned with these thoughts, and he began to wonder if there was another way. Could he protect Isabel, keep her safe, and still achieve his goals? Or was he fooling himself, deluding himself into thinking that there was a way out of this tangled web?

“Maybe…maybe we could run,” he whispered, the idea taking hold in his mind like a seed in fertile soil. “Maybe we could disappear, start a new life somewhere far from here.”

The more he thought about it, the more the idea seemed like a possibility. He and Isabel could disappear into the vast expanse of Asia, living under the radar, free from the danger and the deception that had defined their lives up to this point.

But as the idea took hold, so too did the doubts. How could they disappear, with Diego's associates hot on their heels? And even if they did, what kind of life would they have? A life of poverty and isolation?

Diego was gripped by these thoughts as he watched Isabel sleep in the early morning light.

Diego considered his options, turning each one over in his mind like a stone. He could tell Isabel the truth about his plans, about his doubts, but what would that accomplish? Would she understand, or would she turn against him? And if they did try to disappear, where would they go? What would they do?

He was torn between his fear of losing Isabel and his fear of losing everything else. And as he watched her sleep, he knew that he couldn’t allow either to happen.

“I have to protect her,” he thought, his jaw clenched in determination.

Diego made up his mind. He would protect Isabel at all costs, even if it meant turning against his own associates. He would find a way to keep her safe, to give her the life that she deserved.

As the sun rose over Hong Kong, Diego began to hatch a plan. He would use his connections, his resources, and his cunning to outmanoeuvre his former associates. He would find a way to disappear with Isabel, to start a new life together, away from the dangers and the deception that had plagued them both.

Diego’s plan began to take shape, like a mosaic forming from individual pieces. He would start by severing ties with his former associates, disappearing from the scene and leaving no traces of his whereabouts.

He would then need to gather the necessary resources for a successful escape: money, passports, disguises. He would need to move quickly, before his associates realised what was happening.

“I can do this,” he thought, the gears of his mind turning rapidly. “I have to do this. For Isabel.”

With his plan in place, Diego set out to execute it. He made a series of phone calls, arranging for false documents and a private plane to take them far away from Hong Kong.

He gathered what little money he had left, selling off his possessions and relying on his connections for help. And as the day drew to a close, he gathered Isabel and slipped away into the night, leaving behind the safe house and the life they had known.

“Where are we going?” Isabel asked, her eyes wide with anticipation.

“Thailand,” Diego replied, a smile playing on his lips. “We’ll disappear into the chaos of Bangkok. There, we can start fresh, away from the reach of my former associates.”

Isabel’s smile mirrored his own, her excitement palpable. “What about after Bangkok?” she asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

Diego shrugged, his eyes dancing with mischief. “The world is our oyster,” he said, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

And so, they disappeared into the night, leaving Hong Kong behind and heading for the chaos of Bangkok.

As the plane soared through the night sky, Diego and Isabel talked, laughed, and planned, their spirits buoyed by the prospect of a new life together.

“What will we do there?” Isabel asked, her fingers tracing patterns on Diego’s hand.

Diego smiled, his eyes glittering with mischief. “We’ll be tourists,” he said.

The plane touched down in Bangkok, and Diego and Isabel made their way into the city, their eyes wide with wonder. They wandered through the narrow streets, their noses filled with the scent of street food and incense. They visited temples and markets, soaking up the vibrancy and chaos of the city.

And as they walked hand in hand through the winding alleyways, Diego felt a sense of contentment wash over him. This was the life he wanted, a life of adventure and freedom, with Isabel at his side.

Days turned into weeks, and Isabel and Diego made their way through Thailand, visiting bustling cities and quiet villages, tasting exotic foods and exploring ancient temples.

They laughed together, shared stories, and even fell asleep under the stars, their dreams filled with the promise of a new life. And as they wandered through this strange, beautiful country, Diego knew that he had never been happier.

But even as they explored, a sense of unease began to grow within Diego. He knew that their time in Thailand was temporary, that they couldn’t stay hidden forever.

The unease that had been simmering within Diego began to boil over as he realised that their time in Thailand was coming to an end.

One night, as they sat on the rooftop of their small hotel in Bangkok, staring out over the city’s glittering skyline, Diego turned to Isabel and took her hands in his.

“We can’t stay here forever,” he said, his voice soft but firm.

Isabel’s heart sank at his words, but she knew that he was right.

“What do you propose we do?” Isabel asked, her voice quivering slightly.

Diego took a deep breath, steeling himself for the answer that had been growing within him for weeks.

“I think we should go to Europe,” he said. “Somewhere quiet, remote. We can start a new life, away from my associates, away from this life.”

Isabel’s eyes widened, her mind spinning with the possibilities. “Europe?” she repeated, her voice barely a whisper.